Improvement in grain elevator aid dumping apparatus



f @glatten gratte getest @fitte MANCHESTER Elli) iDGE AND FRANCIS A REED, F ALEXANDRLX,

Visentin.

Letters Patent 1Y0. 64,002, dated April 23, 1186i'.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN; Q

Be it known that we, Mascunsrnn ELnnrDon and FRANCIS A. Ruso, ot' Alexandria, in the county of Alexandria, and State of Virginia, have invented a new and improved Grain-Elevating and Dnmpino Apparatus: and We do hereby declare 'that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This inventionconsists cf a platform combined with a hoisting apparatus and vertical guide-bars, in such manner that grain or other material can be elevated to any desired height, 'and automatically dumped in an effectual and expeditious manner.

To. enable those skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe its construction `and operation.

"Aprepresents upright posts set in a square in the foundation B, andA constituting, in connection with the cross-noams C, a frame for the support of the machine. In common use this frame would he unnecessary, as the. machine `'would be connected with hatchways in storehouscs in thc same manner as ordinary hoisting machines-"fi D represents aplatform consisting of any material suitable to the nature of the substance to be elevated, and of any desired size and shape. Connected with this platform by means of ears d, or in any other convenient manner, are chains or ropes E, of which, in this instance, there are four of equal length. The upper ends of these chains are joined. one to cach of the ends of metallic hails F, the two chains on one side of the platform being joined to one bail, and the two on the other side to the other bail. These hails should, he of a length about equal to the distance between the` two ears Z that are on the saine side of the platform, as during the dumping process the hails are compelled to act as levers, and therefore should he as long as possible, in order to do the work required of them with the more case` Each bail is provided with an eyc,f, located at its centre, in order that when the platform is suspended by means of the crosshail G, connecting the eyes f, it may hang in a. horizontal plane. The eyes j' also discharge another function in the dumping process, which will be described hereafter. The cross-bail G also has anv eye, g, at its centre, for the purpose of receiw ing the rope H, by which the platform is elevated, which rope passes over a pulley, in the cross-beam K, at the top'of the frame, and passing thence over the pulley I in the saine cross-beam, comes down to the platform,land passing under the sheave L terminates in a suitable apparatus for receiving a horizontal motion, as for instance, the whiiie-tree to which a horse is attached. mm represent swivels in two of the ears d, directly opposite each other. Through cach of these swivels passes a. vertical metallic rod, 11 extending from the top to the bottom of the lframe, near one corner thereof, and fastened at both ends so as to be immovable. These rods arc the guides on which the platform travels. O represents stops on the rodsn, each of which is provided with a set-screw, o, and a spiral spring, o', enclosing the rod n and extending downward from the stop as far as may be desired. These stops should both be located at the saine height, their object being to check the upward progress of one sido o' the platform, in order that, the other side still ascending, under the operation ot" the continued strain upon the rope H, the platl'orin may assume an incl-ined position and its load be conscquently dumped. The use of the spiraispring o is to prevent the shock on the motor that would result from an instantaneous stoppage oi" one side of the platform when under tull headway, as it would necessarily be, in order to insure an. effectual dumping. To the eye of the cross-hail G isalso attached one end of a rope, H', which, passing upward over thc pulleys P and P in the cross-heam K, is attached at its other end to a counter- .oise W which is of a wciffht somewhat less than that of the latform in order to assist in hoistin it and P 1 a p i g a at the same time not hinder the lowering of it. The countcrpoiseis enclosed in a vertical trunk, Q, to prevent its swaying at the end of the rope H', and to insure its.,regular action. The Cross-beams C are supposed to represent the foundations of the second story of a building, and R represents a portion of the door of the same. The stops O are so located that the side of the platform which comes to a stand shall be a little higher than the upper edge of the inclined plane S, which is placed so near the vertical guide-harshl ,thatithe material elevated cannot do otherwise than pass from the platform to the inclined planl yand thence to the door.

From this description the operation of the inv,l ntionjmay be easily understood. l-hcplatform is-maintained by suitable supports at a convenient height foi-lo ding during that operation, and having receivedits burden the motor is put in operation and the platform elevated, the guide-bars, through the action ot" the swivels, rlirecting its progress. As soon es its erige strikes the sprinft,r o its` speeal begins to decrease, While the horse or other motor, suffering no shock, is enabled to continue its courseand keep the cross-bail G in motion with undiininishecl velocity. rlhe result'is that the inner ends of the bales becoxning fixed, the bails act as levers, theirA inner ends being the fulcra. The power is applied through the cross-bail G at the eyesf, which also prevent the eross-bail from slipping along the balils. Under this application of power the louter edge of the platform con-y tinues to rise; the platform assumes en inclined position7 the swivels m admitting of this motion, and the load' of course slides off upon the inclined plane S to the floor R., whence it may be removed.

Havingthus fully described our invention, whatwe claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The platform D and guide-bars n, in combination with the swivels m, which furnish pivots for the platform whereby it assumes alternate inclined and horizontal positions, substantially as described.

2. The guidebars n, in combination with the spring o and stops O, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The hoisting and (lumpingapparatus, constructed as explained.

M. ELDRIDGE, witnesses; f 'FRANCIS A. REED.

Bom BELL, Lewis MaK. BELL. 

